Caementiciae Structurae: Ancient Roman Concrete Structures Fabricated with Reactive Volcanic Rock
Abstract
Roman architectural and marine concrete structures, caementiciae structurae, have remained intact and functional for two millennia. A mortar fabricated with scoriaceous or pumiceous volcanic tephra aggregate (harenae fossiciae, pulvis) binds cobble-sized volcanic or carbonate rock and/or ceramic coarse aggregate (caementa). These clasts form a conglomeratic framework that reinforces the concrete. An early pozzolanic cementitious system, in which aggregates react with lime (calyx) hydrated with freshwater or seawater, binds the concrete. The components of this system then react with pore fluids to produce post-pozzolanic hydrated silicate phases, mainly strätlingite, Al-tobermorite, and phillipsite crystals, which remodel and toughen the concrete. A heterogeneous permeability structure facilitates these beneficial fluid-concrete interactions. The Ses Llumetes shipwreck provides a window into transport of pulvis pumiceous tephra as aggregate in marine structures. Roman natural scientists recorded accurate empirical observations and hypotheses for these dynamic cementitious processes, which have great relevance to self-sustaining marine concrete infrastructure and alternatives to cement-based concrete.
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BibTeX
@article{jackson2026caementiciae,
title = {{Caementiciae Structurae: Ancient Roman Concrete Structures Fabricated with Reactive Volcanic Rock}},
author = {Marie Jackson and Michael Heap and Victoria Pavlovics and Alejandro Sinner},
journal = {Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1146/annurev-earth-032524-014538},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05728855v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Caementiciae Structurae: Ancient Roman Concrete Structures Fabricated with Reactive Volcanic Rock
AU - Marie Jackson
AU - Michael Heap
AU - Victoria Pavlovics
AU - Alejandro Sinner
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/29
JO - Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences
DO - 10.1146/annurev-earth-032524-014538
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05728855v1
AB - Roman architectural and marine concrete structures, caementiciae structurae, have remained intact and functional for two millennia. A mortar fabricated with scoriaceous or pumiceous volcanic tephra aggregate (harenae fossiciae, pulvis) binds cobble-sized volcanic or carbonate rock and/or ceramic coarse aggregate (caementa). These clasts form a conglomeratic framework that reinforces the concrete. An early pozzolanic cementitious system, in which aggregates react with lime (calyx) hydrated with freshwater or seawater, binds the concrete. The components of this system then react with pore fluids to produce post-pozzolanic hydrated silicate phases, mainly strätlingite, Al-tobermorite, and phillipsite crystals, which remodel and toughen the concrete. A heterogeneous permeability structure facilitates these beneficial fluid-concrete interactions. The Ses Llumetes shipwreck provides a window into transport of pulvis pumiceous tephra as aggregate in marine structures. Roman natural scientists recorded accurate empirical observations and hypotheses for these dynamic cementitious processes, which have great relevance to self-sustaining marine concrete infrastructure and alternatives to cement-based concrete.
SN - 0084-6597
SN - 0084-6597
ER -